Always a pleasure

 I've been a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, aka IEEE(*), for (cough cough) years. Among my favorite perks of membership is the monthly magazine, IEEE Spectrum. 

(*) The world's largest technical professional organization for the advancement of technology

There's some bonus satisfaction when an article or entire issue channels some aspect(s) of my own writing. As happened with the current month's issue ...

"How so?" you ask. (Go ahead. Ask. Humor me.) Well, see the zine cover's stylized neural net for the control of that prosthetic arm? The hero of my 2008 technothriller Fools' Experiments had just such a prosthetic. The underlying technology played a major role in the novel's plot. (As does AI, if not always in the sense of the Spectrum articles.)

IMO, the magazine's art would've worked better for the novel than the art of any of the editions to date. The latest novel cover is nearby. (Should you be curious about the title, it's from a Charles Darwin quote: "I love fools’ experiments.  I am always making them." A quote that's entirely germane ....)

As it happens, I also covered neural interfaces in Trope-ing the Light Fantastic: The Science Behind the Fiction (2018). I really like that book's cover art.

A big step closer

 What UPS dropped off for me this afternoon :-)

Advance Reading Copy

Things are looking good (as the cover states) for May 25 ....

To a happier year

For a while now, admittedly, I've not been in a blogging sort of mood. 2020 was that kind of year. OTOH, it's now ... 2021. Here's hoping it's more upbeat for, well, everyone. 

As one small, personal bit of good cheer, I'll note that The Grantville Gazette (Universe Annex) just posted my latest novelette. "Adrift in Space-Time" is the third story in a series.

Let that be a (good) omen :-)

Buy-a-Book Saturday -- pandemic-style

 It's that time again. And yet this time, this year is in a category all its own. Stupid pandemic!

Regularly since 2010, shortly before Thanksgiving, I've posted about Buy-a-Book Saturday. That's my personal variation on Small Business Saturday: the day (specifically, the second day after Thanksgiving, and one day after retail's infamous Black Friday) on which holiday shoppers are especially encouraged to patronize small businesses. The big-box stores and Internet giants will do fine this holiday season. But will your neighborhood, non-chain shops and boutiques?

Rara avis! Is that a book store?

Why do I promote the buy-a-book variant? Because what business is smaller than the author toiling away by him- or herself? Because, as I (and many others) post from time to time, the publishing business is becoming tougher and tougher -- especially for authors. Because more than likely you're a reader, else you wouldn't have stopped by this blog.

Because this year is harder on small businesses, authors included, than ever.

So: I'm here to suggest you give serious consideration to books -- whether print or electronic or audio -- for some of your holiday gifting. Friends, relatives, coworkers, your kids' teachers and coaches, the local library you support ... surely there's a book that's right for each of them. And at least one book for yourself, of course ;-)

Suppose you're at a brick-and-mortar bookstore -- assuming said business survived the pandemic so far and/or venturing out isn't an unacceptable risk where you are -- and a book or author you had in mind isn't to be found on the shelf. Not a problem! Almost certainly, the store will be happy to special-order books for you. (Why? Because  they'd much rather do a special order than have you go home and order online for yourself.)

So: 2020 isn't *entirely* awful

A few times this year (most recently, with a cover reveal) I've posted about a pending novel: Déjà Doomed. (As mentioned elsewhere, its planned publication isn't till May 25, 2021.)

Any year in which a new book goes under contract can't be all bad. Déjà Doomed represented a (rare) highlight for 2020. So -- huzzah! -- imagine my delight in being able to report a second book just went under contract.

The new book? That would be The Sherlock Chronicles / The Paradise Quartet. Two independent novellas in one volume. The first, a near(ish)-future cyber mystery. The second, a far-future space saga. I'll have more to say about Sherlock / Paradise as matters progress.

Coming in 2021 (specifics TBD) from Ring of Fire Press ...

Cover reveal

DEJA DOOMED won't be released till May 25, 2021 ... and yet, Amazon already shows the (seriously cool) cover. So, sez I, why not share it:

What's the artifact in the foreground? That would be telling ;-)

(P.S. While booksellers like Amazon show a DEJA DOOMED print edition -- and only a print edition -- available for pre-order, there will be ebook editions in all the customary formats. For entirely uninteresting reasons, the latter tend not to be shown till near the publication date.)

Best Reads of 2020

I admit it -- a year's-best posting this early in November might seem, well, early. OTOH, given that stores didn't even wait till Halloween to put up Christmas decorations and start their sales, the case can be made I'm late. Reader's choice ;-)

Either way, before you know it, Black Friday and Cyber Monday will be upon us. And if you find none of that convincing? The way 2020 has been, surely anything meriting the label "best" is welcome. Distraction via the books that follow certainly helped me cope with this dreadful, pandemic-ridden year.

 Not to mention that if ever there were a year to support one's favorite authors, this is it.

So: on to the latest installment of this annual feature. (Also, forgive this post some weird line spacing. Blogger has defeated me.)

As ever, I read a lot: as research, to keep current with the genre in which I write, and simply for enjoyment. Before the holiday shopping onslaught, I like to volunteer a few words about the most notable books from my reading (and sometimes re-reading) thus far in the current year. When I mention a book, you can be certain I really enjoyed it and/or found it very useful. Life's too short to gripe about anything I didn't find notable (much less the several books I elected not to finish).
 

Presuming that you visit SF and Nonsense because you appreciate my assessment of things, you might find, in the post that follows, books you (and like-minded friends, relatives, etc.) will also enjoy. Unless otherwise indicated, the dates shown are for original publication. Titles are Amazon links, often to newer editions than the original publication (and to Kindle editions, where available).

What's impressed me so far this year? Read on ....

ROFCON -- come join me :-)

The first virtual Ring of Fire Con runs Thursday October 8 through Sunday October 11. W00t! You can still register online -- and for free -- but there are neat ebook bundles offered if you should choose to make a small donation to help defray costs.

Together with -- as you might imagine -- all matters related to Eric Flint's 1632-verse (aka, Ring of Fire-verse), the con covers much, much more.(*)

I am delighted to be taking part in the con, and I thought I'd share my schedule:

 Friday 10/9 4:30 p.m. CDT -- I'm interviewed about my career and recent and upcoming projects

Saturday 10/10 4:30 p.m. CDT -- I'm on the panel "Working with Editors"

Sunday 10/11 3:00 p.m. CDT -- I'm on the panel "The Challenge of Writing Hard SF"

The full con schedule is here.

 "See" you there.

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(*) Why the broader scope? For one reason, The Grantville Gazette, bimonthly ezine of the 1632-verse, has long also had an independent "Universe Annex." That's the TGG department in which it's been my frequent honor to appear. In fact, I have a novelette running in the current, September/October 2020, issue. For another, Ring of Fire Press now publishes both 1632 and non-1632 books. My 2019 novel, The Company Man is in the latter category.

And maybe just because ... why not? SF fans have omnivoracious interests.